Many insured property damage claims require a physical inspection by at least one adjuster. Such adjusters, who are frequently employees or contractors of an insurance provider, physically inspect insured property in order to assess damages and process applicable insurance claims. Many insurance providers have so-called “fast track” claims which allow for processing of property damage claims without conducting on-site inspections. However, such fast track claims are typically processed without significant information regarding the property at issue, as well as the nature and extent of the alleged damages. As a result, such existing fast track claims are typically highly vulnerable to inaccuracies and/or inequities in the claims adjustment process. Moreover, such fast track claims currently represent a fairly small percentage of property damage insurance claims.
Every on-site inspection has inherent costs, whether such inspection is performed by an insurance company employee or a third-party contractor. Such costs can include direct expenses, such as adjustor salaries or contractor fees. However, such inspection costs can also include other expenses, such as vehicle, fuel, maintenance, vacation and benefit costs, as well as workers compensation insurance. Physical inspections also expose company and contract adjustors to a risk of personal injury or death, particularly at property locations that have suffered significant damage.
Physical inspections, which are also time consuming and labor intensive, can also substantially delay the claim adjusting process. Such delay is especially common during times of higher claims volume, such as following extreme weather events or natural disasters when multiple property locations are damaged or destroyed. This delay can have a detrimental effect on customer service and customer satisfaction.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system for processing property loss/casualty claims that increases efficiency and lowers costs. The method should provide information to allow an insurer to determine whether an on-site physical inspection is required. In cases where such physical inspection is not required, the improved system for processing property loss/casualty claims should permit generation of scale diagrams of an area, structure, or object using photographs, as well as the use of such scale diagrams in connection with the claim processing procedure.